Rebuilding civic trust can help overcome partisan polarization | Opinion

Giant bear hugs, tears of joy, broad smiles, and heartfelt reminiscing—this might sound like a class reunion, not a gathering of city elected officials from across Washington State. But that’s exactly what happened at the convention center in Kennewick, as graduates of the inaugural Washington Collaborative Elected Leaders Institute (WA-CELI) returned to welcome a new cohort.

In a moment when polarization feels impossible to overcome, WA-CELI is showing what’s possible. Developed by the UW Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and The William D. Ruckelshaus Center, WA-CELI equips elected leaders with the collaborative skills – and trust in one another – needed to navigate complexity and better serve their communities. The program’s success is built on a simple but powerful insight: when elected officials see themselves as public servants first, they can develop a shared purpose and work across differences to solve challenges that affect us all. Grounded in their deep love for their communities, WA-CELI helps leaders strengthen an identity they all share - around public service. It also gives them the tools to manage conflict, find common ground, and lead with integrity in polarized times.

This work isn’t just for our elected officials. We all have a role to play in rebuilding civic trust and trust in one another. This is the heart of civic health – people treating each other with respect, serving the community, and working together, even when we disagree. It’s about listening, finding what we have in common, and when we disagree, we do it respectfully.

This is why the Evans School is a member of the Project for Civic Health, a partnership formed by Lt. Governor Denny Heck, and also involving The William D. Ruckelshaus Center and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation. Together, we have convened statewide summits and launched new programs like WA-CELI to help focus on practical ways to find common ground to serve the public good.

The Project is inviting individuals and organizations to visit our website and join us in embracing and committing to three simple and core principles:

● Engage with respect. Treat others with the respect they deserve and with which we would like to be treated.

● Seek common ground. Principled compromises are essential if we are to actually solve problems in a country with so many diverse viewpoints.

● Disagree constructively. Disagreement is not to be avoided. It is a hallmark of a free society, but it only works if we don’t burn the house down over every disagreement.

These are not lofty ideals. They are practical commitments we can all make, right now, in our workplaces, neighborhoods, classrooms, faith communities, and public forums. Show your support by signing on. You will become part of a growing network of people and organizations working together to build a culture of trust, respect, and shared purpose across Washington. We will share tools, amplify local efforts, and create spaces where people can connect and lead.

You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram for updates on our work.

We can find our way back together. As the Dean of the Evans School, I’m often inspired by our school’s namesake, the late Governor Dan Evans, who held a deep commitment to bipartisanship, who said he would “rather cross the aisle than cross the people,” adding that there are “no Republican schools or Democrat highways, no liberal salmon or conservative parks.”

We are all in this together. Join us today.

Jodi R. Sandfort is the dean of Washington State University’s Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.